New umbrella body launched for Black professionals in built environment

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has launched a new umbrella body, Diversitas, with a goal to increase representation of Black professionals within the built environment.

Chaired by Jessica Taylor, Partner at Ashfords LLP and supported by Vice Chair Gail Royston, the first member organisations are: DiverseCity Surveyors, Association For Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK), Black Professionals in Construction (BPIC Network) and BAME Planners Network. 

Diversitas will look to further increase their membership and raise their own profile to encourage a wider representation of Black professionals within the built environment sector. 

Diversitas Chair, Jessica Taylor said: "I'm delighted to be able to launch Diversitas as a unique grouping made up of leading Black construction professional organisations. Having worked as a lawyer in the construction industry for over 30 years, I am very much looking forward to driving the work of Diversitas forward and seeing greater participation of talented Black construction professionals in the work of the CIC and in the wider industry."

CIC Immediate Past Chair Justin Sullivan said of the launch: "On becoming Deputy Chair of CIC, and then Chair of CIC it was clear to me that the diversity industry wide in construction is woeful, but it is even worse at leadership level. Construction workers and professionals, if they see Black people in leadership positions, will be encouraged to push themselves to achieve those roles. 

"It has taken two years, with lots of work by CIC members, volunteers and staff, in particular Jessica Taylor, to set this umbrella body up, and we already have our first Black professionals in leadership positions in CIC with Bola Abisogun as chair of CIC EDI, and Jessica Taylor as chair of Diversitas."